The invention disclosed herein relates to a portable, player programmable, interactive toy for a shooting game played by radiating energy, e.g., light, and detecting appropriately directed radiated energy. The programmability and interactivity include selection by a player or players, prior to the start of a game and/or during a game, of game functions and features including game modes, some or all of which are selected using preprogrammed codes entered by the player(s). The interactivity includes at least two players interacting other than by detection of a hit, i.e., detection by one player of light shot by another player.
In shooting games played by shooting some form of light and detecting when the shot light strikes a target, toys used in such games typically include a light emitter and a light detector. The light detector may be located with the target and detect light impinging on the target, or the light detector may be provided with the light emitter to detect light projected from a target. The target may be passive and simply reflect light impinging thereon, or active and incorporate a light emitter. Many remote control applications, including remote control of consumer electronics devices and toys, use transmitted and detected light. Some of the above toys and remote control devices pulse, modulate and/or code the light, which may be infrared ("IR") light.
The "Photon" toy of Entertech includes a gun having an IR emitter, a vest having a speaker and hit indicators and a helmet having an IR detector and electronic sound transmitters, all tethered together. This toy also has a computerized target with an adjustable skill level.
The "Survivor Shot" toy of Hasbro includes a gun with an IR emitter and a head unit with an IR detector and a vibrator which vibrates when the head unit registers a hit. The gun and head unit are tethered. The gun is adjustable to project light for long range, short range, single shot and multiple shot.
The "Laser Challenge" toy of Toymax Inc. of Plainview, N. Y. has been on sale in the United States more than one year before the filing of this application. application Ser. No. 08/795,895 generally describes the "Laser Challenge" toy.
The following U.S. Pat. Nos. disclose light toys or remote control devices: 2,119,005, 2,404,653, 2,957,693, 3,202,425, 3,499,650, 3,508,751, 3,549,147, 3,870,305, 3,960,380, 3,995,376, 4,164,081, 4,171,811, 4,266,776, 4,267,606, 4,375,106, 4,426,662, 4,533,144, 4,586,715, 4,629,427, 4,718,593, 4,754,133, 4,802,675, 4,844,475, 4,898,391, 4,931,028, 5,029,872, 5,253,068, 5,375,847, 5,401,025, 5,437,463, 5,552,917, 5,656,907, 5,672,108 and 5,577,962.
There is a need for a portable, toy for use in a shooting game which provides for more interactivity, both between and among players and between a player and his equipment, than such toys provided in the past.